Summer Changes

chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven****

The moon’s surreal lighting cut through her open balcony doors bringing with it the soft breeze of the ocean’s smell. The storm had past. She sat up too restless to sleep and walked out onto her balcony looking down at the waves as they repeatedly rolled in and out creating a song only the ocean sang.

It soothed her weary soul, beckoning her with its age old mystical spell. A sudden thought to midnight surf had her electrified with a new energy. She smiled secretly, she now had plan.

After changing into her bathing suit she quietly made her way to Collin’s room and tried to wake him. He groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, mumbling to her to go away.

“Up for a midnight surf?” she whispered trying to take his blankets off.

But it was Brien who stirred on the other twin bed beside Collin’s. Rolling over to her face he was wearing a wide knowing smile, she giggled.

“Not able to sleep?”

“Jet lag.” he whispered looking tired.

“You want to surf?” she whispered back.

“Thought you’d never come!” he sat up throwing off the covers already in his beach trunks and reached for his ‘t’ shirt.

He stood up and she watched as he shook Collin hard, “come on little brother surf’s up.” he grabbed Collin’s by the ankle and dragged him off the bed with his sheets.

“Ok, ok take it easy man, body, just waking up here.” Collin muffled out before throwing his pillow at them.

She and Brien laughed as the three of them made their way down the dark hall way to the stairs. They didn’t want to wake up any of the guest or their parents.

The night air was cool outside and the ocean’s spray was accelerating, the thin layer of sand that coated the deck felt rough against her feet. The sounds of the harbor bell tolled in the distance.

The moon shone like a beacon in the clear sky, splattered with silver stars.

From the large garage they had retrieved their surf boards that were waiting, she knew Brien was coming home so she had them ready.

“Hey Brien can I ask you a question?” she asked while they walked the path toward the beach.

“Sure Hail, what’s up?” he smiled down at her.

“About you mer status, . . . are you going to like change when we get in the water?” she sheepishly grinned.

Brien paused and looked at both of them.

“Cute there Hail.” he gave her a wicked smirk, “One thing you will come to learn is you can control your body’s chemistry. So that would be a big fat zero!” and with that he started to run away from them.

She followed giggling as Collin shouted out how much he was going to out surf him.

“Not in this life time kid!” Brien teased.

“Hey you have room for one more?” A voice shouted coming from their left as they landed on the shore laughing.

Three heads turned in unison to a see a big dude carrying a surf board walking toward them. The moon showed his face and they all quickly greeted him.

“‘D’, hey dude, good to see yah!” Collin exclaimed excitedly.

Brien and ‘D’ exchanged this special hand shake they had made up along time ago.

Now ‘D’ always showed up whenever they went night surfing, just like the fog he would appear out of nowhere and just as the sun peeked up on the horizon he was gone.

They never knew where he lived and he never said.

He was timeless in his appearance as if age didn’t matter to him.

With his rolling stones t shirt and long swim shorts, his shoulder length blonde hair was curly against his tan weathered shoulders. He sported a hemp beaded necklace around his throat and one on his wrist.

‘D’ to her was the ultimate surfer dude from long past in those older surfer movies her parents made them watch.

Hailey and her brothers joked around that he was a ghost of the ocean.

He always gave good advice when asked, smoked way too much for her liking, but he built great campfires for roasting marshmallows.

“Come on let’s do this!” Collin enthusiastically shouted out running into the cool ocean, surfboard in the ready.

The night passed with lots of teasing and more laughter than she had in awhile.

Dawn was waking up on the horizon when they finally called it quits and said goodbye to ‘D’.

Tiredly they hauled their boards and butts back up to the deck, pausing to briefly wave and say good morning to their parents.

This was their private ritual every morning, they would sit on the wide deck with their coffee and daily paper looking relaxed enjoying the down time before it all began for the day.

Her bed never looked so inviting as she practically did a face flop on it with her swim suite still on. Sleep rolled over her like the waves on shore claiming her body and soul.

****Please comment good or bad all are welcomed.******